A Chinese navy ship and two air force jets dashed to the Maldives on Monday with fresh supplies to battle a water shortage in the Indian Ocean archipelago.

A navy supply ship docked in the capital after a 50-hour journey after two aircraft of the People's Liberation Army's air force had landed with 40 metric tons of fresh water.

The Changxingdao dropped anchor in Male and immediately started to pump drinking water to the residents, who have not had tap water since Thursday, when a fire knocked the treatment plant out of service.